Over 500 x RH steel coil containers were built between 1995 and 2005
for carrying steel coil (Colorbond) from Westernport (VIC) to other
locations around Australia including Kwinana (WA), Wingfield (SA)
and Acacia Ridge (QLD).

The first batch of containers built in 1995 were painted in the
standard National Rail marigold orange colour that was applied to
the NR Class locos as they were built.

Around a further 250 x RH containers were built in 2004. These
containers entered service in a color that was slightly more yellow
than the original batch.

In 2005, some of the original coil containers were repainted into
the Pacific National Sunflower (yellow) color. It is believed this
repaint coincided with a modification to the roof lifting brackets.

In 1996/1997, 50 x RV containers were built for carrying steel coil
from Port Kembla to other locations around Australia including
Kwinana (WA), Dynon (VIC) and Acacia Ridge (QLD). These containers
were painted in the standard National Rail light grey SteelLink
colour.

A
further 30 x RV containers were built in 2008 by CIMC (China), and
were painted in a unique blue/ grey colour scheme. These were very
similar to the original coil containers although extra bracing had
been fitted to the roof of the lid, and the tare weight had been
increased.

These steel containers were regularly seen on National Rail
SteelLink services, and are now found working daily on Pacific
National’s steel trains.

As Westernport is a Broad Gauge terminal, the containers are
transferred to/from Dynon on RKLX wagons, and the containers are
transhipped onto/from standard gauge wagons such as RKNX, RKMX and
RQLY container flats.

These containers are used on trains running in small and large
blocks, with anywhere between 1 and 15 wagons containing two such
containers each on 40ft or 60ft wagons. If required back in
Melbourne urgently, or if loading permits, quite often a block of
around 5 can be seen on the rear of intermodal container services.